The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Melba Moore

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

This episode of Questlove Supreme lands Quest and Team Supreme in the presence of the great Melba Moore. Not many people can claim their career began with winning a Tony Award. Melba Moore can, having STARTED her career on Broadway to become an essential voice in R&B music. Her musical journey has been like no other, providing a different kind of blueprint toward success sought by most and she's still on it! So many lessons and great stories. You don't want to miss this one! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to.

to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. Happy Black History Month from Quest Love Supreme. This week's classic is with the incredible Melba Moore, first air back in 2021 with the highly accomplished singer and actress. We appreciate you, Melba. Hope you guys enjoy this. Oh, gorgeous.

Hi. There she is. It is how you say it. It is how you say it. Yeah, you're the person to get her name right. And Lai has been everything. Lysaw, Leighboy, she's been

everything to every guest. Leia. Guested, woman. Princess Leia. Yeah. This is going to be a good episode. What's going on, Ms. Melba. Oh.

How are you? Oh, we're alive and well. Good to be here. Yeah. Good to have you here. Great to have you here, too. Ladies and gentlemen, uh, this is Questlove,

host of Questlove, host of Questlove Supreme. What can I say? Well, first of all, Team Supremers. Hello. What are? Yeah. I'm here. And Steve and Plano Ticcolo.

Yeah, that's a problem. Unpaid bill somewhere, paying his bills. I got to say that this interview is a long time coming. Once again, I always say that we're honored to be in the presence of royalty, but this is definitely the case for that episode, for this episode. Melbourne Moore, you know, what can I say? Broadway actress. She was in the original hair. The original hair with Ronnie Dice.

So many questions. She's a Tony Award winner for Pearlie. I even saw her in, y'all might not remember this, but in 78, Timbuktu was a big deal. I saw Timbuktu. Her and Eartha Kit, I think the first week it came out. My mom took me to see Timbuktu. Not to mention her music career, signed to a Newell Bullgard's legendary Buddha Records in the early 70s, soon to Epic Records.

And then, of course, in the 80s her legendary run on Capitol Records, having discovered and been involved in with so many greats, including one of our favorites, Freddie Jackson, managing his career, not to mention movies, just everything so legendary about this guest. Please welcome to our show. Finally, Queen Melbourne Moore. Thank you.

Yes, yes. Oh, guys, thank you so much, everybody. I'm so excited to be here with you all. Well, how do you remember all that? I'm a fan of yours. Oh, I heard you was one of them geniuses. That's what I heard about. No, no, no.

I'm just... It's the word on the street. This is... My platform is nothing but just having the best seat in the house and interviewing people that, you know, excite me. You know, I didn't... I guess I became friends with. with you because you would always come to, you know, are always on our DJ gigs.

You're D. NICE's DJ gigs of mine as well and got to know you. I'm still do your jazz set one day. Actually, wait, I just did your jazz set. Oh, dang, I forgot to tell you. I finally did your jazz set yesterday. You asked me to put a jazz set together. And I finally, I finally got one together. Like last week, you know, we shot this way later.

But yes, I finally got one together. Thank you. So how are you, were you right? Are you still a New Yorker? Like, what part of the world are you in? Yes, I'm just, but I'm in West New York, New Jersey. Okay. That part of New York, yes, the Jersey part. Yes. I feel like everyone in Jersey. Yeah. Yeah. True New Yorkers live in Jersey. I didn't get the minute. Well, now listen, I blame Newark, New Jersey, too. Mm-hmm. Oh, wow. Yeah. So where were you, were you always in New York or where were you born? I was born in New York, yes.

What part? A Harlem Hospital. Oh, okay. You're a Harlem night. No, I lived on 100th Street. So it's like two blocks below Harlem. I'm always on the cusp of everything, okay? Okay, almost there, but not quite there.

Yes. I see that. I guess in your, well, in your beginnings, What was your childhood into, at least musically? Did you grow up in a musical family where you, I know that your parents were also like singers as well. Like, what was your childhood like? I have it in my jeans. You might know who Teddy Hill is, do you?

I know this name. It's not, it's way before your time. I don't mean that. No, I study. I still study. You are walking encyclopedia, so you might know. I know the name Teddy Hill, but I'm not familiar with all of his, so that's your father, correct? He was a very famous big band leader.

People like Busy Gillespie and those folks played in his band. Well, that's my natural father, but he didn't marry my mother. So my mother was a professional singer. Okay. Okay, so I started out with music in my blood, but, you know, a strange family. My grandmother had stroke, so she didn't speak, so I don't really know my family history. My mother's from Pipe Shop, Alabama. Didn't nobody ever hear that, right?

You know about Birmingham, but you don't know about Pipe Shop. Okay. Really? Don't sound like I want to go. Right. Everybody's from there. Right. They don't stay there.

They don't stay. So I started out my life really with a disjointed broken family like many African-American people did. Then my mother married, my stepfather, who was a piano player. And they work together. So when I moved to Newark, because he was from Newark, I then had a step sister and a stepbrother, later on, two more blood, you know, have blood brothers. And Daddy made us all take piano lessons.

So that's when I found that I could sing about, well, I was already 10 years old. I mean, when you're the instrument and you're born into it, you expect like you're going to start singing about three or four years old because the instrument is already there. So it really started late. point, I guess in one thing. So for you, starting at that age, was late to you in your, in your mind? Well, I mean, usually when people have a voice, by the time they're three or four years old, they can sing. Okay. Is that what happened with your mom?

Because y'all have similar voices in a way. I was listening to her. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I guess you say, Quest, you want to know what is your question, right? No, no, no.

I really want to know. I know that also in Newark, especially in that time period, the legacy that Newark had as far as its singers are concerned, I know that Cissy Houston was around there at the time in the work sisters and whatnot. Like as far as the musical richness of Newark, what was the environment like back then? Well, there were lots of music bars, clubs with bands and combos. Later on, there were still continued to be. And people like Rodick Scott and these great organ players were in these clubs all the time. Of course, we also had concerts. And it was just very, very rich.

I mean, to the point, too, where by the time it was time for me to go to high school, school. I don't know if I could have any real talent, but I wanted to be involved. I wanted to be in music. So I went to music and art high school. What high school was that? Arts high. Okay. So there was like a performing arts high school. Arts high school. Okay. Right. I see. It's like a famous one, right? It's not famous like the one in New York. But I can tell you people like Wayne Schroeder went there. Oh, wow. Yeah, I was going to say who else went there that was of new beside, well, Wayne Schorter was one of them. Anyone else? I can't remember them all now, but tons and tons and tons of, like,

ridiculously talented people. Oh, okay. Like, who were your idols during that time period? Or, like, at least what was the, who was the person that you looked up to the most? Well, people like Bobby Tenman's or Horace Silver. I thought I was going to be a piano player. Oh, wow. Okay.

No. Okay. That was your initial goal? Yeah. Well, because my stepfather was a counter player, and he played really, really well, and he loved piano, and he made everybody around him just fall in love with it. So I could do it too.

So then what was your first moment as in an entry into your professional, at least that moment where you knew that you were going to make this your life calling? Well, after I spent about two or three years teaching vocal music in public schools of Newark, I told my father, I said, this is your dream, Daddy. I do it really well, but I don't want to do it. Would you please introduce me to some of your viewer? You can you get me into the industry as a performer? If it doesn't work, I'll come back and teach school.

So to make a long story a little bit shorter, one of the first people I met was Valerie Simpson. Some music publishers offered to sell her songs already. You know, at the beginning of her life and career, because this was like late 60s. And we exchanged the numbers, and she got me involved with studio, background singing work and singing jingles.

But that was my entry into the industry. I started, and you know, you know Valerie Simpson, she's at the top of her chain. She started out at the top. Yes, wow. Because she's just a genius. What I'm going to tell you?

Old Town, yes. Yeah. So then would you say that acting, like, did that come into play before you became a singer? Like, was acting your, first forays as far as like doing plays or whatnot? Heck no.

No? I just mean, I didn't have a clue that that would be in my future. But one of the recording sessions was being performed by Galton and Bermick, who wrote the music for the boy and show here. And they were still casting for it, and they told us, if we wanted to cut any of us,

they had really basically been auditioning us without us knowing it. Right. And if we wanted to, they would find a part for all of us in the show. If we were coming out and sing for the director and the producer, I was the only one on the day. I cared about getting into theater. So I got into my first one show that way.

So, okay, for our listeners that don't know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I was going to say, well, not only that, I know that hair was just something out of, you know out of nowhere and very uh well you know people think of here at least everyone that i know that saw that saw it in real time told me that basically that was the first time that you know open front nudity was such a thing on broadway like how controversial was it then to get involved how did they talk you guys into it uh we were in previews and i don't know as someone from

production team came up with the idea and told us all we had to do the news scene and everybody threatened you quit because we didn't have that in mind and was shocking to us. But then when they made it kind of, well, if you want to do what you can, if you don't, you don't have to. I was curious, so I did it.

Every night. Well, I don't remember if I did it every night. If you want to, you're going to have to. Can you take us to the hair ride? Because I read right that you also replaced Diane Keaton, which was like the first time of the black woman had ever done that in theater. But can you, what was the, what was your, your actual process in here that way? Okay. Well, what happened was I had been in the show for about a year, and they had a lot of

different people coming into, to do the lead role of shield, and they weren't happy with them, so they kept leaving. And so one of the girls, one of the black girls, excuse me, to, why come y'all don't have a black girl tie out for? A couple would be great at it. Why don't you let her? Bill, but why she throw you in her? This same girl, she was very loud, now, big mouth, young lady. Matter of fact, one of the parodies that she played, she played Abraham Lincoln kind of song like the Gettysburg a dress, but like in rap, happy birthday, baby, happy birthday to you.

You know something like that? Right. Wow. Very irreverent. Wow. Yeah, we did, we did a production of hair. when I was in high school, I played hood. Oh, okay, yes.

It was a male. Haked? That's what I was going to say? Hell no, we weren't naked, man. We weren't doing that. But, you know, it was a very toned down version, but, you know, we did it. Yeah. So she pushed you in front of the bus, and then.

Well, what happens? They, they, um, I'd like the audition for it. So they rehearsed me in the role and a couple of different Saturday matinees. They let me get up and try out for him. That's how I got to. all. Was that your first play or? Yeah. Yeah. I didn't, I had no theater background. Oh, really? Wow. You know, black people is musical. I mean, yeah, but I'm talking about back in the day, we're allowed to do anything now. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Well, so many legends came from that production.

Oh, yeah, that's true. What was it like? Well, because I, you know, you know, for a lot of my favorites that I grew up listening to when I was a kid in the 70s, like, you couldn't find out much about them. I mean, I've always heard about Ronnie Dyson and how incredible he was as a singer, but, you know, he really didn't get that much press. No, no. There was no press for black people during that time, except Jet Magazine. Oh, wow. Yeah.

Besides Ronnie Dyson, was there anyone else notable that was in? There was similar. I'm trying to think. You have Benvarian. Wait a minute. Wow. Donna Summer. Wow.

That's right. I forgot Donna Summer. Okay. Was it? How long was it until what? Purley was immediately after or? Immediately after. Immediately after.

Because that same Big Mouth black girl? Yeah. I can say her name is Mary Davis. I always remember Mary. Mary. So, Mommy, you've been in this play a long time. You start born up. She said, you don't even know how to audition.

Why don't you? Just see if you learn how to audition. You don't even know how to audition. And she told me about auditions for early. And she told me I had to do what they call typecasting. I said, well, Mary, what is that? He said, well, you learn something about the character, and you try to look at the character. And, of course, the character was a backwards, illiterate made. But that's who I was raised by because I had what we called a governance one, or

a nanny because my mother was a single parent and she was gone. And she was a backwood cotton chopper. So like most Americans we have two countries that we identify as and so country was mine. Can you talk about those pearly days? I'm sorry because my daughter's, I was just talking to my dad who

comes from New York around that time and used to party with John, you don't know him, that's fine. But he was saying that the parties around Pearlie. and one of the lead dancers who had two homes, one for the artist, I think it went for himself, was just like you've never seen before. Hurley?

Pearly, the cast parties and whatnot, and the good time. Oh, yeah, they were great. They could really work. And that's all you do. It's all you can say, well, I can say more, but perhaps I shouldn't. Oh.

That means you should. A lady. If you don't tell us, we'll never know to him. If you don't tell us, we'll never know to him. History is all. Well, I'll tell you, who was in the chorus? And he, you know, show me, like, what the Tony Woods are about and told me that I had, you know, have a formal gown with George Faison. Yes, your birthday is today.

You know him, you know he's crazy, right? Yes, yes. Love him. Yes. The choreographer of the Wiz, everybody. Right. Yes. Right.

And, Sherman Hemsley. Oh, party. Wow. Sherman Hemsley was in POT. That's all you had. to say, we already heard about sermon. Because, you know, he thought he was Carmen McCrae, okay? I love to get you crazy.

Wow. Wow. He thought he was called me. That's how it was. Oh, my God. I love it. I love it. You all seem, sometimes y'all just seem so much more freed in sometimes in here.

We're just a little bit more uptight. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, so I was free. To my stage, left, stage right. I said, but what is that? That was your second audition. Your first audition. That's her first audition. I was her first audition.

My second point. So how shocked were you to get a Tony for Pearlie? I've seen it on tape, but I don't remember half of it because it was just too shocking. Wow. It's too shocked. Let me see what you wore, because I know it was fierce. I was in costume because we performed. Oh, that's right.

I remember the lights were on because, you know, it was television. Yeah. So I could see Pearl Bailey and Rex Harrison in these people. I don't know what I did. I didn't know where I was supposed to be in what the categories were. So I thought they had already called my category. And there was a gentleman, his actor named Jack Jones. And he was doing a lot of the announcing and saying with categories.

I was confused. He was always drunk. You thought he had got it wrong? You thought he was drunk? No, he did get it wrong. Oh, wow. Because he said somebody else's first name and my last name. And the whole audience started yelling, no, no more, no more.

I said, oh, my God, what's going on, you know? It was shocking to me. Wow. Are your parents still with us at this point when you bring your Tony? Yes. Yes. What did they? I mean, what did they think?

Well, my dad was really glad that he didn't insist that I kept teaching school. I wasn't too happy about the nude scene and hair. Oh, in that part. So your parents were more like fall back on something that's secure and not. I was about to say by this point, do you least have like a manager? Are you like, okay, I'm going to go full throttle and? No. So you just like, I got lucky.

I got in one play and then, oh, I got another play and I won this Tony. After that, I think I got an agent after that. Okay, I sure. Because then, you know, television show came along. I was working all the best supper clubs, like the Palmer House in Chicago and Waldorf Astoria in New York. And, you know, all these, so they had to be negotiated. So I got an agent thing.

So explain to us like exactly when you say a supper club. what was that type of entertainment venue like? Beautiful fancy club. Let me see. You know the city wineries? Yes, ma'am. Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. We played city winery before.

Something like that. Very classic, very, very, you know, and you have dinner, you have supper. You have dinner, gotcha. Yeah, and you could have a big orchestra or a small ensemble, but the top entertainment. Okay, got it.

And you wear a gown. I'm thinking of clothes. Excuse me if you want to. I love this business. What could I tell you? It loves you back. Yeah. So your recording career, I know that you got signed in, I think, in 70s, but I made a mistake.

No, Buddha wasn't your first label, right? No, Mercury was. Because I got that, I guess, in the early... Yeah, early 70s while I was still in pearly. Yeah, that was my first. I look what you're doing to the man. I think that was, what, 71, 71, 702. Yeah, because I got that as a result of early.

And I got a recording offer as a lead singer, you know, as a solo artist for the first time. Wait, so even then, it's not like by the time you get a record deal, surely by this point, you're fully operational business. I should hope so. Well, not if you don't know the business. Yikes. How can one navigate without, well, you know, at least in today's terms, you know, it's like everything has to be in place. Like your manager, your tour managers, your social media manager, your business manager, da-da-da-da. But back then it just, none of that ever occurred.

No, no, I think it was more structured then than it is now. you can be almost be a one-man band now and you know to your own media because a lot of things that you can kind of outsource I might call it there it was very kind of systematic and especially being a black woman somebody had

had to go before you negotiate these things I mean the only reason I was even talked about being allowed into these venues was because it came through theater which essentially was white not essentially it was white I mean, I remember seeing Patty LeBelle on Tonight Show and then we're going to let her sit down,

but the people wouldn't let them let her go. Wow. It's, you know, systemic racism. So you had to have some kind of management team to carry out those. I mean, the office came to, but they had to go through somebody, you know? Because it wasn't still, that's funny because I was sitting here thinking, like, but you came from a family full of musicians, but yet and still they're black musicians.

So business was never. right. So it's not like you could look to them and be like, well, what should I do when... There's still a level of information that's with hell from us. Right. And then you're still, you're evolving because you're in a place where they've never gone. And so it's like... Precisely. Right. That's ill. The one album in your arsenal that I'm fond of is Peach Melbourne, which came out in 75. First of all, before I ask you anything, I got to know, during the height of lean on me, Idis and not Bill Withers lean on me, but Melva Moore's lean on me.

If you were alive and aware at the time when the song was at its height in the 70s, most people will know that you hold a note for at least a good 30 seconds. I'll say longer than, longer than Bill Withers singing Day on Lovely Day. Yes, it is. I used to actually try to, and you would do this song often. I've seen you doing it on the Tonight Show.

I've seen you, even when you did it, when you did it live, you held a note longer and I just never knew a person that could hold one note for like almost 50 seconds. Did you, did you regret having to do that every time? Like, I almost felt like it was, it was its own Olympic competition, like the duration of holding that note. Like, it was fun. And for me, it was an athletic activity.

It was something that was, it wasn't always very. there. Everything that I'm able to do, it seems like I had to work 25 times harder than other singers. I had to go jump, rope, boat, swim, dog, you know, and do my vocalist study, hollering, screaming, and yelling everything. And then after a while, the, the stamina grew to the point where one day, I remember I was singing this song, climb every mountain, but some little group in a nursing home in some way, I don't know. Right. And I took one of the, big, big, big breath. And I said, you know, let it out.

And it kind of went all across the room. You know, it's through. Travel. And I was strong enough so that I was standing and holding it, but I wasn't so conscious that I was doing it. And I said, well, I went, that's me. So I kept holding it. I said, well, I wonder if I could always do that.

When I started to develop stamina to do it. And it's just become something that I'm so grateful for and happy about. And now I understand, like, well, I can't. eat everything and do this. That's what I call an athletic activity. Now, I can't go and handle Jack Daniels. I can't handle fried chicken.

What? A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brain. new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends,

Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.

He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell.

Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah.

He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, The cat just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So what is your regimen as far as keeping your muscle intact? Because, again, to hold it for that strong and that much vibrato, over 40 seconds is not normal. thought of some Kenny cheating method where you do the regular breathing. No, somebody says circular breathing. I said, I'm not a horn.

Yeah. I thought you were circular breathing because you go, we know, man. And what do you yell at the end of the song? Oh, you. That was the top. Shaz, boss, not. Like, are you talking in tongues? Like, what's, of course.

Not. Okay. I never knew what you yelled at the end of that time. Yeah, that was a whole topic. I forget what show we were doing, but we talked about that. Yeah, I remember that, yeah. I think the last times that I've been doing it is it's evolving to make it. So it's make it to her.

Okay. When you're a five-year-old listening to that, I thought you were doing some sort of taekwondo I never heard of before. I do want to hear the answer to that question, though, because you never, what is your prep when it comes to your voice? A lot of baked chicken, you know, or lean protein. I know you think chicken is a gospel word, but it is. It is. What? Because I just thought you were going to say no dairy or okay?

Well, no dairy, yeah. Okay. Yeah. No fried foods, no oil, you know, no, what? Not a coconut. A lot of fish, you know, vegetables. But then I got to work out. And I think swimming help.

I've always loved swimming. and just, I thought it was a, Scorpio water science, not, is it? No. Scorpio is that water sign? No, they're walking on the, on the desert at the toe there. Well, I'd be walking to. Bimonin Mountains, aerobic exercises, things that make you breathe hard. It build up the lung capacity.

I was curious to know the producer for Peach Melbaugh was Eugene McDaniels. And to hip hop, to my generation, he means something totally different. But what was it like working with him? I've never really heard stories of what he was like in the studio and his creative process. What was that like? I went and stayed with him and his wife at his home. Oh, wow. I'm in the California Hills.

And so I'm very, what do you call it? I'm affected by my environment. And he lived way up. And it was probably thin, so I was affected. I sound, to me, on that peach Melbourne album, I sound different. We're like, I'm in another zone. That's how, Jimmy Daniels to me is like that. Were you aware of his, kind of his, at least at the time in 75, is his controversial, political.

Yeah, like stance with the government. I know that the story was that when his second album came out, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse, Spiro Agnew kind of placed a call to Ahmed Erdogan and kind of had him blackballed, you know, had his musicians

union card revoked. So thus he was kind of left to make a living as a singer-songwriter. So that he worked on your record, Robert Flax, Blue Lime, in the basement, like, oh, that's the time. He leaned on the side of, Amir.

What do he lean on the side of? Was he the big C word? Well, no, no, no. Not even that. I think just, I think it was rare for an artist to just, you know, the way that we call out the government now on Twitter and that Instagram. Like his albums were Twitter. You just didn't hear of black people like just blatantly call the government's, you know,

liars or that stuff. And he had it in for Nixon to the point that, you know, the Nixon administration just did all they could to silence him. And he couldn't, he lost his record deal. So, you know, him not, if he didn't write, that's the time I feel like making love to you, then that would have been, that would have been curtains for. Wow. But, I mean, he produced people in the meantime.

They couldn't stop him from producing other people. So I just wanted to know, like, just as a human being, like, was he kind of bitter of what the government was doing to him? Or he just... I never heard him speak anything about his politics. Okay. That's why I thought he was kind of, you know, kind of upped in Ethereum like me. Sweet and gentle and... Okay.

You know, but he was... No, I didn't. know anything about his apologies for some actually heard of it. Oh, okay. So were you aware at the time when you made the record did you meet the kids that did Sunshine Superman with you?

No, I didn't. I'm certain that people have reminded you that Wendy Melvoin of Wendy and Lisa Prince in the Revolution. And her twin sister, Susanna, were the background singers on Sunshine Superman.

I probably knew it around that time, but I don't remember hearing about it. Oh, okay, I see. You also, at least two albums later, you worked with Van McCoy. I know he produced the This Is It record. What was that like? He put me in disco.

I was going to say, Can you describe what it's like to every, every artist I see that was recording in the 70s? Disco was more like kind of like that Filman Louise Mountain Jump. Like, can we make it to the other side or are we going to fall underground? Like, what were your thoughts on conquering that? And, you know, I know Neil Burgart was your president at the time. Yeah. Like what was he like as a not,

not much has said about Neil Borgard's time at Abuja and at Casablanca. I know that a lot of his artists were like, you know, colorful and he really, I guess you could say he was like the original Diddy, almost to the point where he was just as famous as his artist. As his label, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What was you like as?

I met him. I knew who he was and he was very, very famous. But I really didn't have an awful lot to do with that because by that time, I had good management. So they were the ones that actually went out and got Van, and the label got Van McCoy for me and put us together. Then he and I worked on what we were going to do and tried to establish me as an recording artist

and helped me develop a style and identity. I didn't have a help. Yes, I did. I had the note then. I didn't, yeah. What I was interested in Van McClure, for, I mean, he gave me this is it which put me into the disco

or the dance genre, but I knew he had written Lean on Me. Ah, ha. And these are He wrote Lean on Me? Yeah. That's so weird. I can't imagine

Van McCoy writing any non-up-tempo. He wrote lots of ballads. He's a very prolific songwriter. So that's how it reached you? Well, no. Oh, well, tell me. I mean, yes, but no.

I had heard my favorite artist, this Aretha Franklin singing. And I knew I couldn't sing anything like her. But the lyrics and everything just moved me so much, I started singing it. So I developed my own little arrangement of it with the long note. And I think the long note came in there because I was just so excited and so trying so hard to.

express something. And then once it hadn't presented itself, and I came in contact and touched with the court, I made him do my arrangement of me. Okay. Dope. You also worked with McFadden and Whitehead.

I'm a Philadelphian, so like any of those guys that are in the arsenal of under the umbrella of Gamble and Huff and Dexter Wanzel, and, you know, Tom Moulton, like all those guys under the affiliate umbrella. What was it like working with McFadden and Whitehead? Let me see.

They produced the Portrait of Melbourne album. Yeah. I told you what it was like working with Sherman Hensley, right? Yes, you did. It was like that. Yes. Oh, good times. It were crazy.

I've heard stories. especially John White really wow Philly dudes I mean if he walked down the street strange things happened how strange

did you record that album Philadelphia or was it recorded in New York in New York okay we kind of stole them from Philly International matter of fact we were managing our company Hodge production

we're managing Gene and John And so we were the ones that produced them or managed them to do, you know, stopping us now. It wasn't really an international. You better tell that story. Oh, wait a minute. Yeah, you can't just casually like. You better tell it, Ms. Moore. Yeah.

You kind of borrowed them. So you see the house production started in 1976? Well, you remember the years. Well, I do. You had been around that time. Yeah, it would have been. Well, I only knew of, I only knew of, I only, started hearing the term hush productions

closer to you like your capital work, but I never knew when it started. So you got, you and your husband got into management. So I could have a manager because I didn't have a manager still yet. At a certain point, I had an agent, but by that time I had already lost my career for the first time. By this point? Yeah. Yeah, that's unusual

for an artist to start a manager. At least you don't hear of that in the 70s. Like, it was like a separation of church and states. Like artists were artists and CEOs were CEOs. So what? Right. That was, that was the case with me. But my husband was a gifted and was a gifted business person. And when we met, we started, we tried to find a manager for me. But everybody told me, well, she's Broadway. She can't do this. She can't do that. I started in the record industry as a backup single. But so my point is that everything that they said I couldn't do had already done.

So instead of having a stable of artists, we started a stable of managers. Mm. Mm. Brilliant. Oh, okay. So once we got me started, then we got Freddie and Kashif and, you know, a whole bunch of people. I was wondering what your roster looked like. Can you brag some more?

Who else was on the roster? Kishif. Let me see. Melissa Morgan, Lilo. All the capital, Bo Higgins Bo Huggins. I remember Bo Huggins. I remember Orpheus. I remember Orpheus. Was that you guys?

Yeah, it was a record company. Did you mention Lilo? Lilo Thomas? Lalo. Paul, Paul, um. Paul Lawrence. I said a force MDs? Force MDs. And Paul Lawrence too?

All Lawrence. Everybody from the 80s. What's on June? Now I see how that freedom rain came together. Yeah. We'll get to that later. Yeah. I had music.

I bet you then. What was Kashif? Like, he was always one of those guys that I just really, you know, admired. And, you know, we, I had a music class in college and they made us read, like, his book, you know, everything you know about the business. And, um, he just, yeah. What was, what was, what was he like as a person? Well, we became, um, well. His daughter and his wife and I became real good friends because we put a recording studio in our little building at 231 West 58th Street.

And when Kashif would come, he would record the stuff in our studio. Well, you said, what was he like? Well, it was like a vocal coach. Okay. And the way he stacked the background voices, almost like you take individual sounds and singers and you put them in different places. Not like a background, but he structured everything. And he was, I guess, a perfectionist. And we'll go over one phrase all day until y'all got it.

I said, good, I'm going to get this. I'm going to learn how to sing up, bitch. I'm going to have me a hit record. Oh, it's fine with me. You know, I'm a student. I'm a teacher. They're going to have patience with me until I get it. So you're not one of those singers that is like, okay.

three takes and I feel like it's enough so let's move on and no the more I do it's better I get okay I see under that under that production unit so you guys manage conceived did you guys also manage like uh well no there was uh there was Ronnie Harris as well yeah we managed Ronnie yeah Ronnie Harris like a bunch of

like Tri-State guys that I know that were kind of under the, were they under like Kacheev's tutelage or because he had a very But Lonnie was his own entity. Was that like parallel. Another. Okay. Another Kachin. I see.

Yeah, like for me, especially the, the, about to say somewhere of the, the other side of the rainbow album. That's probably, yeah, one of my favorite records. That was the one. My aunt used to play that record all the time. time. I think I was like three when that came out. I'm sorry. Oh no, you got to apologize. I'm a jammy. Now, the one with the art is, you're thinking of Melba. Did you? I was thinking I suppose. Did you specifically work with, I just have one question about the 78 record. Because I knew you did a cover of, you stepped in in my life. Did the BG specifically write that for you or?

instead the VG's wrote that for you no no that was I figured that album was it on all those songs like from Saturday Saturday she might I think Yvonne Ellman might have done it

someone else did it but I didn't know who did it first you did it first okay I see do you get anything every time D. Nice plays that record because he plays that record and I hear it in my dreams thank you yes he does

it's like a new record. I love it. Dean Nice and all the deep days you know make us relevant. Yeah. Rich. Yeah. It's dumb. Good.

I was hoping that you was, okay, good. So it does matter. It does matter. Okay. Absolutely. Because you know, God keeps doing it. My daughter told me don't get too religious. It doesn't. No, that's all good. Do what you feel. God keeps doing, you know, new things at least

every decade or so. And he changes it. And so you've got to change the context. You're going to change your neighborhood. I can't do that. I'm not even a songwriter. Mm. Ooh. You know, like your DJs, first of all,

you're used to just spin records. Now that's grown into their songwriters, producers, you promote shows. You created a donor. So you have some autonomy. You have some authority. And you have created a, well, yeah, a community of D-D-Days.

And I'm not saying it's all black, but... The best ones are. It's sweet. So we have some place to be. Yeah, like in the early days, especially since somebody like me, my opportunities came through theater. So racist, but what they try to get you to do

and you wanted to do was to cross over. But if you do that, you'll leave your community. Right. And they try to convince you, they don't belong here. You don't belong here. Well, it was too late, thank God for that, to be convinced of that. So then, you know, we tried to get a manager. And when we couldn't do it, then we said, okay, well, why don't we try this?

You've done theater, you've done TV, you've done this. So we've got somebody from each of those areas. And then said, okay, what kind of music we're going to do? So, like I said, my then-husband is gifted at business. So nobody taught him business, but he learned it, just like many of us, Afrocentric people. You didn't get a chance to go, get taught it. Then you learn it some kind of way.

You learn it. You know, you have to learn how things go and create a space for yourself. And, you know, they call it R&B, put you in the back or in the corner, and that turns out to be the foundation of American music skills. Anyway, that's my humble baby. You're right. Now, don't be humble about it. It's true.

There's one question I missed before we skip to Kashif. I always wanted to know this. So you worked with another legendary producer. Peter, Pete Balat. Bellotti. Yeah. I guess, well, I'd like to know, at least. what was the decision in getting him

people out they did uh like a lot of his music like between him and georgio or marrera like those guys were like Italian disco yeah future electronic past that I mean what what we now know is like electronic music

like those guys were pushing well they were German producers so sort of in line of what crap work was doing and all that stuff what was it like working with him was the decision to sort of go into sort of like a futuristic dance mode or like what was it like working with him? Well, yes, because we were trying to stay current.

And once again, like I said, my then-husband went out and found the songwriters and producers who were relevant for the time and seeing where things were going and could we fit into it. They decided they would work with me. And so I co-wrote a lot of the songs that we did together. Because my then-husband told me I should learn how to write. Yes. Yes. Get your money out.

Yeah, the monies of parentheses. He was trying to teach me that year. So did you, I felt like you made the transition to the 80s. It was for a lot of artists, it was hard transitioning to the 80s. But, of course, with, you know, to work with Paul Lawrence and Kashif and all those cats, those New York cats or Jersey New York cats. just what was the what was the environment like at the time because um also like uh you know there's there's la la there's like so many so many of these greats that are in the what rmb was at the time what i what i say is with with at least the style of kashif was um him being kind of uh instrumental

in the sound of a boogie which is you know post disco, kind of the sound that Leon Silver's ushered in, like that bookie sound. Could you explain what the environment in the early 80s was like in New York as far as like that whole cruise concern, Freddie Jackson, Lala, like all those people? Oh, of course, I may be, you know, particularly actually describing, but it was so much fun, it was so musical. It was like you were exploring a place where everything functioned and worked probably because we were in charge. And you could negotiate with the record comfortable. I didn't, I didn't, but my husband did. It was good at it. So we were touring, we were sending up-and-coming artists. So it was

always fresh downs. And I mean, I'm a musician. So I mean, that was like being in heaven. We had fun. We liked each other. You know, we had no problems. It was great. And then, you know, there was no lack of money or work. It was wonderful. I was happy that my baby was, you know, I was a new mother. I don't know. I tell you.

Is your former husband, he's still alive, him and his brother? Are they still alive? Okay. Are y'all on good terms or how is it that relationship now? Y'all good? Yes. That's what's up. That's what's up.

We're family. hate to get religious but God creates us so I want to, you know, suck up to the boss. I hear you. I hear you. I see.

And our daughter is happy and, you know, coming into her own. You got an 80s baby, it sounds like, okay. Yeah. What was the story in developing Freddie Jackson?

Like, I feel like of your statement, like he was definitely your breakout artist. Like, how did you first discover? I'm sorry. By-bye. Yeah.

I told you by Sherman Hems. Yes, I know. I already know. I didn't, I didn't know. Brady thought he was Sherman too. Let's say. Yes. Yes.

A party. Oh, wow. That's how it was. I remember one time, we were in the studio and he was going to come around to my house, you know, for a break just, you know, a little bit. So I got dressed up. I forgot what I had on. But I had to get him, you know? Mm-hmm.

Show out. So I opened the door And it was so He was so shocked He fell down on the The hallway floor Laughing, I said, now What was the outfit? Do you remember?

I forgot it was some crazy I don't know I didn't know Nobody else would see this but you know Him and me yeah Where's Freddie Jackson from? He's from New York Of course

Oh, that's too much. Okay. All right. But he likes to, Kippetson and Doug. He's a do docker. He could probably do stand-up if you wanted to. That's his real personality. He's always laughing.

And of course, you know, he could sing anything he can hear. Right. So wait, I'm going to ask, can I just ask the question that some of the 80s babies might want to know? I'm sorry, I don't know this is touchy, but were he and Luther? I knew you going to ask this question. Or was there beef? Because we grew up thinking it was beef. I was going to say, like, in my mind, I felt like there's some Pock Biggie

changing going on. Who's going to be the king of the hill? Yeah, yeah. I don't think they were friends, but I think it was just like a lively, friendly competition, especially on Freddie's part. Because Luther was the man. Luther is the man. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. He has his on the spot. Yeah, true that. I'm sure everybody would want to aspire to that. But that's just my humble opinion because I don't really know. What was the relationship like with you with like Hush and Capital? I remember I was watching, so years back, I think I was watching Freddy's Unsung. And he was talking about how his records were like going crazy.

And the people of Capitol didn't, they had no idea. Like they didn't even, they were just so unaware of what was going on in black music at that time that when his record kind of took off, it, you know, they weren't prepared for it. Yeah, they weren't prepared. It wasn't only what was going on in black music. Our company became really, and I jumped to the record company, we were the ones that started street promotions with the posters. Gotcha. And actually work in your own record in your own areas and hiring your own marketing people and your own. salespeople.

Gotcha. Of course they do. You know, what are you going to say when we give you a hit? Do you find that it's harder to be both artist and artist manager? Yes. Because I know it involves a lot of

babysitting and Jedi mind tricks and Yeah, but you know what? I think I'm not to be a mentor. So I can't manage. That's the whole skill that I don't really have and I don't think I have a real great interest in it but I'm always interested in showing you and opening you the way. Like for instance,

when we took Freddy on the road with me and he was my opening act, I didn't let him open for me. I put him in the middle of my show, introduce people to him and said to him, as soon as he starts saying, you're all going to start screaming. So I'm going to tell you who he is now.

The name is Freddy Dex. Put him in the middle of my show instead of trying to make him they're all that pressure when you're first trying to get out there. Yeah. So I'm naturally, I think, a mentor. I'm not a manager.

No, and that is a difference. There's a distinction. I understand exactly what you mean. That makes sense. Have a lot of other things been coming to you for like mentorship throughout the years? I was curious about that, especially with all the voice stuff. Well, I think they didn't come to me because, you know, I have a team of people and they deal with everything.

So they don't come to me. But whenever I have an opportunity, thank God, people interested in interviews, people I want to, well, how do you do this? And how, what would you tell somebody else? And so in that, that way, I can offer, you know, information with suggestions. Even better. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Cliverts Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you're, need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfew.

And in this new season of The Girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no.

I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Everyone, I'm Ego Wadam.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings.

I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come. Look for up and coming town. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah. It would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

You mentioned Melissa Morgan was also part of that stable, correct? Yeah. Again, these are, I'm just asking because, again, like, there's just a period between 82 to probably 92 of a bunch of artists that, you know, there wasn't social media out back then. There wasn't anything. Unless they were in jet, Soul Train, or Ride On Magazine, you really didn't know it, or Ebony,

you really didn't know about them. What was Melissa like in working? How did she become part of the stable? Once again, Hush signed her as an artist. So their relationship with her was with her. But Melissa and I have become friends. Okay.

And, well, what can I say? She likes me. How could you mad? So, I mean, when I had difficult time, she's going, well, Melba, do you need a ride? Wow. Can I help you, you know, where you go? And she'll probably find out and see how I am or whatever. We've just been friends, you know.

And we've done some shows together now that I have, you know, another manager. And, you know, we can do shows ourselves and say who we want to be with. We often work together. We've been in UK a lot, you know. Oh, no. In, you know, when the, when the, when the, when the iron was hot, in that period in the 80s, did you think about making a return to your other, to the other arenas that you were in as far as like, you're acting and plays and whatnot. Well, yes, I made my then-husband put pearly on videotape.

Okay. Well, only thing I've seen on video, I'm sure the others, it's Hamilton since then, because it's still not a common thing for people to do. Okay. So there was unusual back then. Wait, would you involve with the, what was your involvement in, all right, this is a deep one? Are you guys familiar with deaf by temptation? Yes, I was.

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Def by temptation all over you by Freddie Jackson. Yes, that was a joint. But it was the joint with Kadeem Hardison and Bill Nguyen. Yes, yes. And James Bond the Third. On the Third. On the Third.

He created that. Yes. Oh, wait, he created Def By Dentation. Okay. Yes, he wrote and produced that. Well, we produced it. I was going to say, were you the producer of the film as well? Yes.

Wait. Okay. You know, what was that like stepping into film and like producing your own film? I mean, that's a lot. Yeah, because we started to learn how to try to promote it and get it in theaters. And so I started to get into that. But my whole relationship with my husband and Hush production broke down shortly after that. Oh, man.

What led to the breakdown in your opinion? I don't think I should say. Not with the daughter sitting there. She's like, Mama. your mama are up. Not today. Not today. Okay.

I don't do it. I love you lying. I can already hear and feel. Let me ask because we're in the 90s now, but. But literally that, you know, we're coming back trying to be, mend our ways. And be better. Yeah. Yeah.

And move on with us. And it's such a different place now. And I think because of COVID and everything around the world is stopping. We do have a chance to start over. And maybe the playing field will never be even, but we've all grown so much. We have a chance to try to start over. So we're trying to really do that. That's real.

That's fact. But that period is when you credit, like, things went bad. And then, because I think you said something early on where you were like, my career fell, it fell down or something like that. And then you said that was the first time. So you can reckon. Right. That was before.

This time we brought now. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. One thing I've gotten very good at is falling and getting back up. That's inspirational. It is. It is.

But you got to walk out. See, you got to be. Nah, you look amazing. Like, you've really. Yeah, I wasn't going to be in your business, but I was about to ask about your moisturizing. I was not sure. Because you said, you know, I was like,

is that not the fried foods? If I didn't eat fried foods, is that what I would end up looking like? Is that okay with you? Like you did when you was 20-th-th-th- Okay, can you, can she answer that, daughter? Yeah. She says, yeah.

That's. Okay, I'm waking. Well, you know, massages and heat and ice creams and stuff, you know, and masks and exercise the face and exorcise. You know, like, exorcism. Yes. Because my mother always said you posted E, I, O, and all of this. You have to exercise it. Yes.

People don't know that. Okay. So that's real? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like a mirror you got to. So, you know, black don't crack, but it could rust.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you had to take place with little bones of rust sometimes, you know. Mm-hmm. Okay. Can we talk about 1987? Because is that when Les Mis? When did Lay Miss? Yes.

Yes. That's, no. Naimiz was, I thought it was later. Was it later? I think it was later because. Or 90, 1990. Well, it was around that time. Mm-hmm.

because that's the time then I lost my family and hush and all of that and I really was homeless. Oh, wow. But you ever heard of Michael Matthews? Michael Matthews. Oh, you know, so quizzical.

Because we want to know. Educators. Well, he created the gospel musical that Tyler Perry has taken to the lengths that he has. Oh, okay. The first one that Tyler did? No. Michael Matthews did the first.

Okay, that's what I'm... The very first gospel. Okay. Ah, gospel play. He pioneered the gospel play. Yes, he pioneered it. And what he did was he went to the churches around the major cities that had black populations. And he sold to them. So that's why we have gospel plays because they're from...

The audiences were the church. And so by the time I met Michael, I was just about... to be evicted. My daughter had run away. I didn't know where she was because of all the trouble that was going on. I found out that I was divorced and had to go figure

up all that stuff. But Michael had called me, invited me to come out to St. Louis, I think it was. He was doing one of his plays. And it's his huge, like, 2,000 seat or 3,000 theater. It was jam-packed.

None of black people knew who's churches. So he learned, he figured out how to market the churches and fill them up every day of the week. And so what he did then, he said, these incredible actors and singers that he had put in the shows and musicians, that's when Mary and Mary came from. Oh, wow. Now you know they're bad, right? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You're ridiculous. And one of them that's married to the piano player. He was a piano player from Michael. Not Warren Campbell. I can't remember his name. Yeah, baby does, Warren Campbell. But to give you the, an idea of the quality of the music and what we were doing, what was raw.

And I came out to start, he was bringing stars into those incredible companies, which they do. Okay, yeah. So actually, that's how we really began to learn how to sing gospel, because I'm like. But opera, though Well, no, I stopped I was born doing that I had to learn how to sing the hospital Wow, okay

Reverse What was the question? What was the question? I was asking about Le Miz, but Oh, oh, okay, so I was telling you about that but then I didn't have anything so I was trying to

write a play where I could be the star so I could get up and get from work. But Richard J. Alexander, who casts Le Miserables, was in this little town called Hollywood, Florida. He came to see my play, and he didn't know I could sing classical music,

because you don't sing classical in pearly. Right. You would be great for Le Miserables. Rob. That's how I got it. You know, you mentioned something earlier that I wanted to ask. So, you know,

in 2020, a lot of lot of people in our profession and entertainment, especially in March, I'm one of them, was definitely panicking because, you know, a lot of artists didn't know if they were coming or going. You know, this is how I make my living. And, you know, so I personally went through about a good six to seven weeks of just straight up, like, panicking. I'm about to lose everything. I will say that it takes a steady mind to navigate yourself out of that situation. How were you able to, the first time around when you were about to lose everything and sort of not knowing where your career was going to go? Like what, how is your mind state in that keeping slow and steady to get to,

a greener pasture, if you will, or a safer space that you could still be in it. Like, how are you able to to mentally overcome that? I don't think I overpayment. I don't

think I was calm and settled. I was depressed. I was oppressed, repressed. I was desperate. Yeah, but I believe you overcame it because you're here speaking with us right now. And you were, you know.

Yeah. So, but just at the time, what I was saying was that after two months of just, oh, man, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to lose everything. I'm going to lose everything. Then I just had to stop, sit silent, and restart all over again. You have to. You have to. There's really nothing else you can do. But I'll tell you, the part of, I've always had help when people who came to my eight, even going through the grand sister station, people giving me a hand.

money. I mean, I was embarrassed and it was shameful because they knew my story, but people came in my eight and one of the things, I guess, is outstanding for me about going on the road with Michael Matthews and the gospel shows is they really were

to save people. All they did as I found out, I was saved. He invited me to come out on a road. I remember the first rehearsal. What was Deke's last name, John? Jackson. And she's, good morning, saints.

Praise the Lord, everybody. I said, oh, my God, I don't know how much. Because everybody around me was always cursing, you know. Oh. And, you know, and Michael, they would pray beforehand. And sometimes I would be just so broken. I'm sure I didn't cry or anything because I was too numb. I would just sit there.

But there was somebody would come and sit by me, maybe come to my room, and just be with me. You don't know how to talk. And I know I was spiritually oriented, but it would be dropped into that. And then you kind of discover what's going on and what is saving you. And you know Charlie Wilson, right?

Yes, indeed. Yes, absolutely. His brother Ronnie Wilson was on the road. We used to call him Elibishop. Oh, wow. Well, he's hilarious. But you're saving. people. This is what they do. This is how they live.

And of course, all the shows were about family in different situations. Some of them were kind of raw, but the whole point was you need Jesus. But that's really what I am and who I am. What happens is I can go back and tell you some of these incidences that it never occurred me to do anything harmful to myself, but I was numb. I couldn't think or figure anything. But someone always came and said, what about this? Well, how about this? Well, you need this, you know, or like, I don't even know what was going on

with me. But as it turned out, that's why I know there's, you know, no coincidences or accidents. He put me on the road with him just when I was going to get infected. And I had filed bankruptcy. So I didn't even have a bank account. But he paid me $7,000 cash every week. My only problem was how I was I going to carry in the paper pet, especially with all them singles. Wow. But that's the truth. And you know, it was my first time going on a tour, any kind of a tour. You ride in along the highway and he's, you know, travel tour buses.

And the bus driver, he prays before we go. I'm serious about it. and just an amazing presence. I can only say it's the presence of God. You know, however you can describe it or I'm not so good at describing it all the time, but I know you just are in, you're not by yourself. You might think you are. No, I feel it.

But you're not. Actually, speaking of which I totally forgot to mention, we should note that you were part of the ensemble cast. of the fighting temptations. Yes, you mind. Now, that's a gospel show. I totally forgot about that. What was it like doing that production?

Beyonce and Kupilgun Jr., right? Yeah, people going to make apps. First of all, I wasn't going to the OJ's. No, the OJs, all of the wonderful experiences. but I wasn't going to the movies or watching movies on TV, so I didn't know that Cuba Gooding Jr. was an acrobat. He was a quadruiter. He stood flat foot and did a back over flip or something.

I wouldn't, I wouldn't, nobody knew that. No, you all know. No, we didn't know. You didn't know that? He didn't know that? He's a real acrobatte. You mean that? I thought I was, he was training to be in the Olympics.

Like he. No. I didn't know that. If you look, oh, God, I'm really dating myself here. Lionel Richie closed, Lino Richie closed the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And Cuba Gooding Jr. was, he's sort of like the Alfonso-Ribero of Lino-Ritchie's Michael Jackson at the closing ceremonies for the Olympics. Wow.

Like tumbling and breakdancing and all that stuff. I did not know that. Dude, we, I'm telling you, we have to get Cuba on the show because he's amazing. He's a nice man. He's the craziest story I've ever heard, Emma, like, he's one of the most interesting people. I know is like Cuba. And I'm saying to you too that, you know, there were nice people. I would say about Beyonce, she made everybody look short and ugly.

Wow. Well, what's you going to do? But I remember the last song of when the credits are coming down. She and Angie Stone and I are strutting down the runway, you know, doing our, sorry. I'm not like I could dance if I wanted to. No. Did you remember the opening song that? Oh, Ann Nesby and Shirley Caesar are singing to me.

You're about to imagine. I don't know. I don't remember. Ridiculous. Now, if I used to tell you now, we watched that on the two of us. That's all right. So wait, since we fast forwarded, can I get the whole story to let freedom ring from the song to the video? Can I just, can I get some left freedom rang story?

Can I? Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, let me see. Okay. I was on a sabbatical. I think I've gotten sick and then I was, you know, just taking time off. And I was watching TV and I saw the NACP Awards.

And they were honoring Dr. Dorothy Hyatt. Oh my goodness Who is that lady? I'm going to meet her So I found out how to get in touch us And I called her And she said, why don't you come out With us in the

Black family reunions that we do My dad has a picture of you And Dorothy Hype My dad's a photographer in D.C. He has a picture of y'all too At that Black family reunion So you know I'm not lying, right? You're not lying. I was there too.

I'm sorry, go ahead. I was literally, right? How were you at the time? Oh, I mean, I was, you know, like one. Six. Okay. Okay.

Don't worry. She was younger than me. I'm sorry. I started to travel with Dr. Haight and go to the breakfasts. And, you know, we had people like Maxim Waters and, you know, Alexis Herman. Alexis Herman. Wow. I mean, I met Corrida Scott King.

That was that. the black band of reunion, the Jackson's came. This is crazy. I remember, yes. That's where I first met. The Silvers? The Clark Sisters. Clark sisters.

Oh, wow. Okay. Who are on left, freedom, right? Okay, you tell them the story. Right, right, right. They were on that, but it was performing at one of the, and the reunions. I said, oh, my God, who was that?

That's how it was. It was so exciting. She says, well, no, you should sing something. At our breakfast meetings or some of our meetings. why don't you sing the the New World National Anthem? I didn't know we had one. Oh, okay, I'm sorry, go ahead, more.

Wow. I found out about it, and I was with Capitol Records at the time. So I went to our A&R person and who was with the label at the same time was BB and CC1. Yes, ma'am. Yes.

That a gospel artist was on a regular label. And he went and got Baby Winesh for me. And Baby got everybody else. Bebe got everybody else from Dion to, I'm trying to remember takes it. Did he wonder. Howard Hewitt, Bobby Brown. Bobby Brown, like that was.

Bobby Brown? Yes, and he was the green screen. Girlfriend era, girlfriend era. Because obviously Bobby didn't make it to the day of shooting. He was one of the only ones with a green screen. Right, Mel. I'm guessing, right, Melville? How did you do that? I don't know. I wasn't there what they did, you know, a lot of it. No, I'm talking about the video.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, Bobby was on the green screen. I can't remember. Oh, take six. I have a new version. I think he just got a Grammy nomination for the recent recording of the time. Really? I think so. And who was the decision? Because I know that Jasmine Guy is dope in her album in Ellie history, but who made the decision to have to have her dancing in the video? Probably Debbie Allen.

Right, because she directed. Did she direct the video? It was her concept, and she directed it. And I kind of think, well, I think, I think Debbie was my understudy in Perliel. She was one of the lead dancers, you know, she was dancing with George Faison. Right, because she did the whiz. Before, you know, she went, did all those other wonderful things later on. Wow.

Yeah. That was her concept. And we had Lou Gosset to the narration, but on the audio version, it was Jesse Jackson. Oh, man. Okay. And we got permission from the NACP. We didn't want it to be money thing. We wanted to donate all the funds of NACP.

And it was my idea to have all of the different celebrities because I figured if I didn't know that we had a Negro national anthem, other people wouldn't know that we think it was my hit record. So it was my idea to have. And I did. And I may have done that. Oh, yeah. I thought it was yet backy.

I thought it was left free to ring. I was like, that's not the way to, yeah. Right, right. So, okay, before I wrap, I got to do. I mean, because I have a lot, a lot of them. I mean, I could say fall in or just a little bit more. I love coming at you. But of your songs, of your arsenal,

what songs are your personal favorites? Well, I don't have personal favorites. favorites that people like and their two favorites seem to be loves coming at you and lean on me. Even to this, so when you perform that to this day, are you still as intense when you're performing it? Yeah, because for some, maybe it's because I'm still not really trained in a certain way. If I don't really focus and get everything out, I still get so scared. To this day? Yeah, it never goes away. It's like, I guess it's a whole thing.

That means you still care. Yeah, that's a sound of respect for the audience. I think so. I think so because you stop and you focus. What am I doing? It's not the same show you did before. Is my throat okay? Because this is not something that's just naturally okay.

I have to take care of it. So I have to make sure everything is like, I said, I can give you a run for your money for whoever is the fattest person you ever seen if I didn't watch it. So I've got to make sure I can still get them a clothes. I don't think, you know. Wait, I was going to ask, like, have you ever been in a situation where you were horse one night or unable to kind of had to slide under the bar? Like, y'all sing it.

So you just Bobby Brownham. Y'all sing it? Okay. No, but so many times. I haven't had background signatures. Nobody took, you know. So then what do you do? You make sure you're very

But that's why you get scared She still is to sing it. Now I know I'm going to get scared So I try to prepare Yeah I assure you that her audience Would just sing the The adlips verbatim

Before we go Can I ask boss? Because it's funny We were talking about COVID and stuff And I'm just curious As for fans and stuff We see you on The Nices show We see you all around

How can people continue To like support you? I see you got a little poster back there that your daughter might want you to shout out. But, I mean, for folks who just want to support, since you can't come see you. She told me where I am. I'm Instagram.

He told me where I am. On Instagram at Nova One More. I'm going to it right now. Okay. And the website is melvomore.com. Am I anywhere else, honey? I love this. And what's your daughter's name?

Charlie, C.H. R-R-L-I, Charlie. Shout-out to Charlie. Thank you, Charlie. Shout-out, baby, girl. Shout out, shout-out. Yeah, I got to say that this is definitely one of the

silver linings of the COVID era. Because when I first saw you on the scroll, I was like, there's no way that that's actually Melbourne. No way possible. What is, huh?

What's the scroll? Oh, I'm sorry, the scroll, when, when, when, when I'm DJing and I can see who's in the room in the comments. And you get the comments and I'm like, oh my goodness. Thank you. Yeah, I'm just, you know, this is this is one of the, the, the few bright spots of 2020, which, you know, I can have a conversation and link up with, with my childhood heroes. And you're definitely a hero. And I thank you for sharing your story with us on the show. Thank you.

Thank you for everything that you've contributed. Like, just seriously. Yes. Flowers, flowers. Yes. I'll take it, but I'll say, you know, I've heard about you, Quest. And I was very, very much intimidated because you are a walking encyclopedia. You know, but fortunately, you decided to come on my lane, you know, let me be comfortable.

I really thank you for that. You could really take it somewhere else. I've seen, and I've seen, I've seen you play the drums. I play a little something I do a little something A little bit shot in there Yes you did I do a little something

No all thanks to you And I appreciate it Yeah this is one for the books Ladies and gentlemen Melbourne Moore On Quest Love Supreme On behalf of Fon Ticolo

Sugar Steve And Say goodbye, Sugar Steve Thank you Melba I have your 1971 album Oh Look at God then. There you are.

He doesn't say much, but you know, it always counts. Laya and Unpaid Bill, you know, this is the team Supreme and we will see you on next go around. Of course, Love Supreme. Thank you.

Thank you for listening to Questlove Supreme. Hosted by Amir Kwestlove Thompson, Laya St. Clair, Sugar Steve Mandel, an unpaid Bill Sherman. Executive producers are Amir Kwestlove Thompson. Sean Chee

and Brian Cald Produced by Brittany Benjamin Cousin Jake Payne Elias St. Clair edited by Alex Convoy

Produced by IHeart by Noel Brown Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio For more podcasts from IHart Radio visit the IHart Radio

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifference. and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes

franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax.

You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who. had been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young.

This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.